Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Connected

Twenty four years ago, I got to investigate my first computer. I was 12, in the sixth grade, and it was the only computer in the whole school.... ONE computer for a whole school. We each got 3 minutes on it to play some word game or something. I seem to recall it was an Apple.My first personal computer was in 1993, some geezer IBM, with all of 4 MB of memory. It whirred and wheezed and had a dial-up connection.

Nowadays, computers are everywhere and kids are as tech-savvy as the adults are (sometimes more!). Isabelle's school (and nearly every school I have visited) has computers in the classrooms and also a Computer Lab. Lots and lots of computers.

With my recent gift, I started taking stock of all the technology I have in my life.*Computers: I have a desktop PC, Geoff has a desktop PC, the family has a lap top and I have another lap top for RAPTOR. Peripheral devices include speakers, flash drives, paper printers, photo printers, and scanners. Also attached is a wireless cable modem so we can all talk to each other. The RAPTOR lap top also has a digital projector so that I can WOW children around the Tri-State area. All these things have chargers or cables or peripheral gizmos.My computer is probably my favorite gadget, because it connects me to the Internet, and all of you.

*Our TVs. High-Def flat screens, with digital cable and DVD players.

*My digital camera. My baby. My microscope for the natural world. That one camera requires that I have a battery, a charger, a cord for uploading and software on my computer.

*My cell phone. So I can make calls and check Facebook constantly. : ) Oh yeah...also has a charger.

*My Garmin. Lets me find my way in the world. Talks to a satelite in space. That includes a charger to keep it juicy and also a USB cable so that it can talk to my computer.

*My iPod. A super fun little gadget to carry the soundtrack of my life and bird songs, so I can talk to the birds and learn their languages. That came with a speaker and a cable, so it can charge its little heart and also talk to my computer.

I have a zip-top mini-duffel bag that I use just to store all of those cords. Now- just to show my geekiness, I made labels for all of them so I'd know what belonged to who. (got a really cool battery opperated label maker at Tatget ON CLEARANCE!) Thankfully the label maker does not have a cord...

Our first home computer was a Commodore 64. Yep, 64K of RAM. It was state of the art at the time.

Now we are addicted to all the latest electronics, except my iPod which is the earliest model with no video and a black-and-white screen. I can't bear to think of its demise, although I know it is coming.

Click on this link when you are having a bad day and need a giggle

A Glossary for newcomers to the blog:

"Embrace your Inner Sheep": You'll just have to read back a ways for the explanation of that one.

FTS (Also known as F*** the Swainsons): When you just cannot, under any circumstances, get out and look at another bird today. That's it. I don't care what it is. F*** the Swainsons!

The Flock: A group of women (and a few men thrown in for good measure) who met here in Cyberspace and now travel together to birding festivals. We are unique in this because birders don't usually travel in "packs".

Learning Lemur: (See Science Chimp)

RAPTOR: A Cincinnati-based rehab center for birds of prey (also where I work)

Science Chimp: A term coined by Julie Zickefoose. Meaning anyone who sees something nature-oriented (whether it be scat or bones or the scene of a predator strike) and MUST figure out the circumstances. There is much grunting and "eep-eep-eeping" involved in a full-on Science Chimp display. Someone who is learning the art of Chimping can be called a "Learning Lemur".

"Squeee!": This is a noise you make when something is so cute or perfect, no other word will do.

"What? Lynne has herpes?": What your blogger heard and said during a quiet moment at an owl prowl when someone said that Lynne (Hasty Brook) has groupies.